A nonwoven is widely used as a replacement for traditional textile products in numerous sectors, for example in the field of surface cleaning and protection, or in the production of garments. Compared to conventional fabrics, the nonwovens have the advantage of lower production costs, outstanding mechanical properties and a high biocompatibility with skin.
Among the nonwovens, those of the spunbonded type are formed either by synthetic (polymer) or natural material fibers which are laid on a mat while still being in a molten state and then left to solidify in the form of a layer.
The thus obtained structure can be consolidated by dynamic treatments such as bonding by stitches or by weft (calendering), or by jets of water (hydro-entanglement). Other bonding methods known in the field are mechanical needling, thermobonding, chemical bonding.
Generally, the spunbonding methods provide the extrusion of thermoplastic polymers through spinnerets such as to form a plurality of continuous filaments. These filaments, which are first solidified and then elongated, typically by means of a high-speed fluid, are random laid on a collecting surface such as a conveyor belt and form a non-consolidated ply. Subsequently, the filaments are bonded to provide the final ply having cohesion and strength characteristics.
The bonding step can be obtained by directly applying heat and pressure to the non-consolidated ply by means of heated calenders.
Particularly, after the non-consolidated ply has been laid down, it is carried on said conveyor belt to the calenders where it leaves the belt and is taken by two calender rolls to be heated and crushed. Thereby, the polymer ply is only carried until reaching the calenders and both rollers of the same calenders also act as the supports/conveyors as well as consolidators for the ply.
The product resulting from said method is normally in the form of a very thin ply, in the range of 0.18-0.3 mm weighing 15-17 g/m2, compact, of threadlike appearance, and provided by slightly embossed patterns defined by the gaps between the cohesion points of the calender design.
Such a product, though showing good cohesion properties, is not very suitable for use in the hygiene sector, and however in those sectors requiring particular performance in terms of softness and thickness.